Nikola Tesla, Inventor

Most grade school students know about Thomas Edison. After all, he invented the light bulb, which literally lit up the world. Lesser known is another brilliant inventor who worked with Edison. His name was Nikola Tesla. Tesla was not born in America like Edison. He was born in Croatia, a country across a sea and east of Italy, in 1856. He was about nine years younger than Edison.

Nikola Tesla became an engineer, that is, someone who designs and builds things. He moved to America when he was 28. He became interested in electrical devices because his mother enjoyed inventing small home appliances when he was a boy. Tesla's father was a priest and a writer. He wanted his son to join the priesthood. But Tesla was interested in science.